Aphasia, AcquiredNCT05667480
VR and Script Training of PWA
A study testing VR-based script training and Conventional script training in people with Aphasia, Acquired and Chronic Stroke, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The goal of this intervention study is to investigate the effects of immersive virtual reality in rehabilitation of language and communication of individuals with post-stroke aphasia. The main research questions are: 1. Is VR-based script training a feasible treatment to Cantonese-speaking PWA? 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- What is being tested?
- VR-based script training and Conventional script training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 26 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 10 Apr 2023to 30 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 30 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- a stroke onset more than six months, with an Aphasia Quotient (AQ) below 96.4, as evaluated by the Cantonese version of Western Aphasia Battery (CAB; Yiu, 1992),
- premorbid fluent Cantonese speakers,
- aged between 30 and 80 years,
- no reported progressive neurogenic disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's disease,
- no motor speech disorders of moderate to severe level, and
- normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing functions
Who cannot join
- concurrent participation in other aphasia treatment trials, and
- incompatibility with immersive VR exposure such as complains of nausea, headache, or other severe discomforts during trial use of a head-mounted device during screening.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Hong Kong1 site
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 852
About this study
Official title: Utilization of Immersive Virtual Reality in Computerized Script Training for People with Aphasia: a Feasibility Study
The goal of this intervention study is to investigate the effects of immersive virtual reality in rehabilitation of language and communication of individuals with post-stroke aphasia. The main research questions are:
- Is VR-based script training a feasible treatment to Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Will VR-based script training, when compared to conventional script training, better enhance treatment outcomes in functional communication of PWA?
Read more
Participants will be assessed before, in the middle of, immediately after treatment and 8-week post treatment in terms of their performance on:
- Accuracy and time for producing trained scripts.
- Accuracy and time for producing un-trained scripts
- Standardized aphasia test on severity of language impairment
- Standardized aphasia test on functional communication
The participants will be randomly allocated to receive one of the treatment:
- Virtual reality-based computerized script training; or
- Computerized script training without virtual reality Researchers will compare the treatment outcomes of the two treatment conditions and see if treatment with virtual reality would better promote outcomes when compared to training without virtual reality.
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- Being tested
- VR-based script training, Conventional script training
- Keywords
- functional communication, randomized study, script training, immersive virtual reality, aphasia intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Aphasia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR-based script trainingBehavioural
The PWA will wear a head-mounted VR device (e.g., Metaverse Oculus Quest 2 or other commercially available devices) for 30 minutes, which intends to create an immersive environment for training. Scripts trained in the computerized script training program in a particular session will be practiced. Cinematic 360˚ photo-real scenarios of daily contexts such as a restaurant or a grocery store will be displayed in the device while a communication partner, e.g., a waiter in the restaurant or a shopkeeper of a grocery store will initiate the conversation by producing the corresponding part of the script. The PWA will be given time to respond. Upon the completion of PWA's respond, the next conversational turn will be initiated. The clinical assistant, who accompanies the PWA in the entire training session, will control the flow of the 360 ˚ videos.
Conventional script trainingBehavioural
The flow of training is identical to the VR condition, except that photos depicting the scenarios and pre-recorded conversational turns will be presented to the PWA on a computer screen with the same procedures mentioned in the VR condition.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script training | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: VR-based script training |
| Conventional script training | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Conventional script training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percentage correct in reading aloud the sentences included in the trained scripts
Trained scripts will be shown in written form while the PWA will be asked to read aloud the scripts.
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Time required in read aloud of trained scripts
Total time to read aloud the trained scripts
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Percentage correct in spontaneous production of the sentences included in the trained scripts
No written cue will be provided while the PWA will produce the scripts upon questions.
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Time required for spantaneous production of trained scripts
No written cue will be provided while the PWA will produce the scripts upon questions.
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Secondary outcomes (3)
CAB
Cantonese version of the Western Aphasia Battery
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
CANELT
Cantonese version of the Amsterdam-Nijmegen Everyday Language Test (ANELT; Blomert et al., 1994)
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Percentage correct in producing untrained but related scripts
No written cue will be provided while the PWA will produce the untrained scripts that share similar contexts with the trained scripts.
Measured: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Dec 2022
- Study start10 Apr 2023
- Primary completion31 Dec 2024
- Study completion30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Aphasia, AcquiredStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Winsy WS Wong, PhD, Principal investigator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05667480
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- P0043271
- Status last verified
- Aug 2024
- First submitted
- 11 Dec 2022
- Last updated
- 13 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The IPD, together with the study protocol, will be shared in an open-access data repository (e.g., Harvard Dataverse).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Utilization of Immersive Virtual Reality in Computerized Script Training for People with Aphasia: a Feasibility Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05667480
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- P0043271
- Conditions
- Aphasia, Acquired, Chronic Stroke
- Keywords
- functional communication, randomized study, script training, immersive virtual reality, aphasia intervention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Dec 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this intervention study is to investigate the effects of immersive virtual reality in rehabilitation of language and communication of individuals with post-stroke aphasia. The main research questions are:
- Is VR-based script training a feasible treatment to Cantonese-speaking PWA?
- Will VR-based script training, when compared to conventional script training, better enhance treatment outcomes in functional communication of PWA?
Participants will be assessed before, in the middle of, immediately after treatment and 8-week post treatment in terms of their performance on:
- Accuracy and time for producing trained scripts.
- Accuracy and time for producing un-trained scripts
- Standardized aphasia test on severity of language impairment
- Standardized aphasia test on functional communication
The participants will be randomly allocated to receive one of the treatment:
- Virtual reality-based computerized script training; or
- Computerized script training without virtual reality Researchers will compare the treatment outcomes of the two treatment conditions and see if treatment with virtual reality would better promote outcomes when compared to training without virtual reality.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script training | Experimental | Behavioral: VR-based script training |
| Conventional script training | Active comparator | Behavioral: Conventional script training |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- a stroke onset more than six months, with an Aphasia Quotient (AQ) below 96.4, as evaluated by the Cantonese version of Western Aphasia Battery (CAB; Yiu, 1992),
- premorbid fluent Cantonese speakers,
- aged between 30 and 80 years,
- no reported progressive neurogenic disorders such as dementia or Parkinson's disease,
- no motor speech disorders of moderate to severe level, and
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- concurrent participation in other aphasia treatment trials, and
- incompatibility with immersive VR exposure such as complains of nausea, headache, or other severe discomforts during trial use of a head-mounted device during screening.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VR-based script trainingThe PWA will wear a head-mounted VR device (e.g., Metaverse Oculus Quest 2 or other commercially available devices) for 30 minutes, which intends to create an immersive environment for training. Scripts trained in the computerized script training program in a particular session will be practiced. Cinematic 360˚ photo-real scenarios of daily contexts such as a restaurant or a grocery store will be displayed in the device while a communication partner, e.g., a waiter in the restaurant or a shopkeeper of a grocery store will initiate the conversation by producing the corresponding part of the script. The PWA will be given time to respond. Upon the completion of PWA's respond, the next conversational turn will be initiated. The clinical assistant, who accompanies the PWA in the entire training session, will control the flow of the 360 ˚ videos. | Behavioural | VR-based script training |
| Conventional script trainingThe flow of training is identical to the VR condition, except that photos depicting the scenarios and pre-recorded conversational turns will be presented to the PWA on a computer screen with the same procedures mentioned in the VR condition. | Behavioural | Conventional script training |
Primary outcome
Percentage correct in reading aloud the sentences included in the trained scripts
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Trained scripts will be shown in written form while the PWA will be asked to read aloud the scripts.
Time required in read aloud of trained scripts
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Total time to read aloud the trained scripts
Percentage correct in spontaneous production of the sentences included in the trained scripts
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
No written cue will be provided while the PWA will produce the scripts upon questions.
Time required for spantaneous production of trained scripts
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
No written cue will be provided while the PWA will produce the scripts upon questions.
3 secondary outcomes
CAB
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
CANELT
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Percentage correct in producing untrained but related scripts
Time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Mar 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The IPD, together with the study protocol, will be shared in an open-access data repository (e.g., Harvard Dataverse).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Winsy WS Wong, PhD principal investigator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR-based script training and Conventional script training in people with Aphasia, Acquired and Chronic Stroke, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percentage correct in reading aloud the sentences included in the trained scripts (time frame: From baseline up to 1-week post training). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Mar 2025.